Watching him grow
by DobbyRocksYourSocks
Summary: Little Regulus Black grew up, and Sirius watched him. One swear word, that's it.


**A/N: Hey, so I don't know where this came from but I really like it, took me a little while and I think it might be a bit choppy but I'd love to hear what you have to say about it, so it's a long one-shot thing, Hope you like it. Thanks, please Review! I love to hear hat you have to say, Umm, I already said that didn't I...awkward...!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter...Sadly.**

**Sirius POV :D**

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I watched as Reggie walked towards the sorting hat, a mask of indifference all Black family members are taught to wear, of course I've ditched that mask since becoming a Gryffindor, along with the rules purebloods are supposed to follow, brand new vocabulary as well. It's almost as if I've been reborn except this time I'm actually happy about myself.

The sorting begins and McGonagall places the hat on the first years head's, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor and Slytherin. The four house's start to get there new students, I zone out until McGonagall calls out Regulus' name. Walking up stiffly he sits with the ever present Black posture.

I sit on the edge of my seat, Anything but Slytherin, please don't put little Reggie in Slytherin.

But it turns out the sorting hat can't hear my thoughts from here, "SLYTHERIN!" the hat cried and Regulus let a small smile grace his face before walking to the table and sitting in between Bellatrix and Narcissa.

That year he started off with as much innocence a child from my _family_ can have, ready to learn, eager to learn, happy most of the time and still has some emotions, of course that didn't last long, he was placed in Slytherin.

It was Christmas break that I noticed something was off, that he had changed even if it was only slightly, we had both come home for Christmas, and I of course wasn't here by choice, _mother _forced me to be here. Only because of the Christmas party she was holding, wouldn't do if the family screw up wasn't there.

Regulus would have normally put up a fight while putting on his high collared Black family robes, the crest on his left breast. But that time he didn't, it was then I noticed that something had changed. He was more resigned, more respectful, he was dull, boring, not Reggie.

It was only small changes that year, his natural curiosity dimming a bit, the light in his eyes dying down only a tiny bit, the way he held himself, as if he was more important than everyone.

After Christmas break I rarely saw him and when I did he was hanging around the Snape kid, Snivellus, I didn't really know why since he was a half-blood, but the Slytherin's probably didn't know that, since they mainly keep to themselves apparently.

By the end of the year I think even mother noticed the small changes in Regulus and it made her sickeningly proud, oh look at my little boy, my son, my only son. Truth be told I completely forgot about Regulus's changes and focused more on being angry at everyone.

The next year was even more noticeable, he had that mask down to perfection, the only emotion on his face that was ever seen was cruel and twisted happiness, I'd never admit it to his face or anyone else's but it was slightly terrifying, he was my little brother and that look did not belong on his innocent little face.

I also noticed that his face had begun defining itself, the puppy fat disappearing and the high cheek bones coming through.

Thankfully he hadn't started to participate or watch the older Slytherin students torture the muggle-born's and half-bloods but when the recounted it to him he wasn't disgusted, merely amused.

I had started forgetting about Regulus though; I focused more on my problems like mum or new pranks or detentions, girls as well and we figured out about Moony's 'furry little problem' then.

If I hadn't been so self-centred I would have noticed more changes to my little brother, but of course I didn't.

His third year was when Regulus started watching the older Slytherin student's torture others, seemed to enjoy it too, he was handsome now though, defined cheek bones, bright grey eye's, I saw him turning on the charm with many girls.

The only time we ever saw each other were when we ran into each other in the halls, we glared at each other but didn't speak, and again I should have noticed his confident walk and cold, fixed face but I didn't.

Only one main interaction was between us that year, I saw him watching a torture session and snapped, I stopped it quickly by lifting the torturer in the air by his ankle and the others fled, Reggie did too but I stopped him.

"What do you think you're doing?" I remember screaming at him, he raised his eyebrow at me and replied with that horrid drawl, "What do you think I was doing?"

I punched him in the nose and he fell back, clutching his nose which was pouring blood, but he just looked up at me and grinned, only thirteen and he'd managed to scare the living shit out of me with one wicked grin.

I hurried away then, releasing the other Slytherin with a flick of my wand, he'd changed so much over the three years he'd been at Hogwarts, thirteen and he'd mastered the insane grin, the one you saw on mum's friends, what had I missed? I remember thinking, but then my thoughts were interrupted by Girls and homework problems that Regulus completely left my mind, it shouldn't have but it did.

When he turned fourteen I was fighting with mum a lot more, I never saw Regulus around the house anymore and if I did he was sprinting to his room while I was screaming at mum, I had been threatening to leave a lot back then, didn't have the guts but I threatened, I just loved the look of horror one dear old mum's face when I said that but towards the end of the summer holidays it lost its touch.

During school I was too focused with other things to notice Regulus, for one Voldemort was still around and getting even stronger, there was a word around the school back then that Slytherin's were joining him, only the seventh years because they didn't have traces on them so I didn't worry myself, even Voldemort wouldn't recruit a fourteen year old.

I got in a lot of fights with Regulus that year, muggle and Wizarding fights, he had started joining the torture sessions, the ringleaders had disappeared, and it was Regulus's turn to step up but he didn't do it right away, no he threw in a couple hexes every now and then but that was it.

I remember that year he had started calling me blood traitor and whenever I looked into his eye's I saw a burning insanity lingering behind the grey shields, his grin was twisted, but still he managed to get women, I got the shock of my life when I came across him making out with a girl on the astronomy tower.

Mum had been bragging what a good little son Regulus was more than ever, more howlers, and more letters where he had to read about Regulus' greatness. I was bitter and loathing him.

I noticed that Regulus was now Bella's little pet, following her everywhere, learning from her. Narcissa and Lucius had been there too and Snape had joined them, Rabastan and Roldolphus along with Barty Crouch Junior was in that group too and truth be told it was a terrifying combination.

In his fifth year and my sixth I left home, for good, I went and lived with James; I can still remember our conversation before I left.

"Sirius what are you doing?" He'd asked me as I was packing my bags, more like throwing all my possessions into a trunk but it didn't bother me I needed to get out and fast.

"Leaving, you'll be the heir, your dream come true eh?" I had chuckled humourlessly, I still hadn't turned to face him, and if I had I would have seen him wipe away tears.

"Sure, look just, don't come back, we don't want you here. You're a filthy blood traitor and we're all glad you're leaving." At the time I thought he meant it but I know better now, he was making sure I wouldn't come back to this place under persuasion or guilt, he wanted to help me by 'hating' me, and it worked.

That year at school I noticed he was up the front of his little gang, I was caught up in a euphoria of being away from my family and away from the screaming and the fighting and into a loving and caring household that I didn't even see the regret and sadness in Reggies eye's I only saw the insane pleasure as he practised his torture technics on other student's.

Whenever we passed each other in the halls he always called me a filthy blood traitor and I called him various things I've forgotten over the years, I couldn't see behind his mask back then. He was really just a lost little boy, being forced into a life he didn't want to live, he could see it then but I couldn't, I could only see a sadistic little boy.

At sixteen the rumours were that Regulus Black, Sirius' little brother had gotten the dark mark and had joined the death eaters, had been the youngest death eater ever. I had to investigate of course, I corned him late one night and ripped up his sleeves and sure enough, the dark mark stared at me from his forearm, dancing about.

"Why? Why'd you take it Regulus?" I had snapped at him, deep inside myself I had still believed him to be that naive little boy in first year but it wasn't. Not anymore.

"I had no choice." He'd hissed at me, "Of course you have a choice." I'd snapped back but I didn't realise then that he real didn't.

After I graduated from Hogwarts I joined the Aurour's with James, he had finally gotten Lily Evan's to date him and by that time, marry him and have his child, and how I'll never know.

I'd only come across Regulus once after I'd graduated, I was fighting at the McKinnon's home, they all had mask's on so I didn't know who was who but I could tell one was Bella just by her laugh, that evil, insane laugh.

And Regulus, I only found him once I ripped his mask off, his face was pale and withdrawn, his eye's looks dead, there were backs under his eyes to rival Dumbledore's and that was a feat in those days. He looked weak and sick but still he glared definitely up at me.

"Kill me then, or take me back to where ever, whatever you do with us now days, I won't tell you anything." He had shouted at me strongly, coldly.

"What happened to you Reggie?" I had asked him, his stone mask had begun to crack but he just shook his head.

"Nothing but everything at the same time Sirius." He'd told me, nothing but everything, I didn't get it then but I do now, he believed it would have meant nothing to me, but it had meant everything to him.

I could have killed him then, killed him where he stood but I didn't, no I let him go, I couldn't kill my own little brother and he couldn't kill his older one.

When I got the letter from Dumbledore five days later telling me Regulus was dead I couldn't believe it, how had he died, at and Aurour's hand or a Death Eaters? Had he backed out or become too weak, what had happened?

Dumbledore informed me that he had gotten to scared, but he was in too deep already and the only choice he had was to continue being a Death Eater or death, he chose death.

It was years after that, when I was cleaning the house after escaping from Azkaban and meeting Harry that I finally learned the truth, when I learnt that Regulus was a true hero.

I found his diary in his room, I'd done my best at cleaning all the other rooms first before I went into his, the petty do not enter sign glaring at me, it was as neat as it always had been, newspaper clippings from Voldemort's time were on the wall, at first I thought he liked them but after reading his journal I found out it was to remind him never to go that far, it worked, slightly.

I'd spotted his Journal on his desk, the only book lying out, open on the last page. I'd read it, it was a letter, addressed to me, it had said.

_Sirius, _

_If you're reading this, I'm dead, and your back in your old home, sorry about the painting of Mother, she had it installed after you left, to keep you out of the house was her reasoning, I think she just wanted to cover up the hole she made in the wall._

_I give you full permission to read this whole book, if you believe I am a horrible man I don't blame you but please just read this book and hopefully you'll understand that I really didn't have a choice._

_I'll always love you Siri, brothers till the day we die._

_Regulus Black, _

_ OR _

_ Reggie. _

And I read it, right through to the end.

Now, if anyone dares call Regulus Black a coward or a traitor, they wouldn't live to see tomorrow.

Because my little brother Regulus, he was one of the bravest men on earth.


End file.
